Through the Caves of Despair: a Ninjago fanfic
by TLFScarheart12
Summary: requested by starrkiwi: Jay's irresponsibility lands the nunchucks of lightning into the skeletons' hands. He and the other ninjas must go though the caves of despair to get them back.
1. Chapter 1: The nunchucks of lightning

Jay stood at the cliffs of despair. This time it WOULD happen. He would fly without the help of his dragon. He had managed to convince the others to let him have a day here to test it out while Sensei Wu was away. He'd "borrowed" the golden nunchucks in order to power up these wings. Everything was coming together. All he had to do was stay in the air.

Jay took a deep breath and leapt into the air, activating his wings as his feet left the ground.

His eyes widened. The ground wasn't coming closer. He wasn't gliding this time. He was really flying!

"I'm doing it…I DOING IT!" he shouted excitedly. He had done it. He had made wings that could fly. Now he just needed a portable power source other than a pair of legendary nunchucks. But he could think of that later. Right now all that mattered what that he was…

BANG!

A painful source of power knocked Jay out of the harness. Both he and his invention fell. Jay screamed and flailed, but his dragon was too far off to hear and there was nothing to grab onto.

THUD!

Jay felt the back of his head sear with pain before being swallowed by nothingness.

"JAY!"

I voice was calling to him from far away.

"JAY!"

It was coming closer.

Jay felt his body being shaken.

"JAY! Come on wake up!"

It sounded like Cole.

Jay forced his eyes open.

It was Cole. Kai and Zane were behind him. It was already dusk.

"Jay, are you okay?" Cole asked.

"Yeah…I'm okay…I did it guys! I was flying! Not gliding! I was flying! For at least a minute. Five minutes maybe. No more than that, though. It short circuited. But, I've made the right design! After all this time…" Jay babbled.

"He's alright," Kai laughed.

Zane helped Jay to his feet, "You hit your head pretty hard when you fell. We had better get you home."

"Yeah…you're probably right," Jay replied holding his head which was roaring with a headache, "Just give me a minute. I need to get my device."

Jay looked around and finally found it laying about 10 feet away from where he fell. He ran up to it. Miraculously there wasn't much damage except…

"Where are they?" Jay asked no one in particular.

"Where's what?" Cole asked back.

"The…the nunchucks of lightning…I kinda used them to power the wings," Jay said, feeling sheepish.

"WHAT?" his friend exclaimed simultaneously.

"Jay! Those nunchucks are what we're supposed to protect from Lord Garmadon! How could you think of being so irresponsible?" Kai asked angrily.

"Relax. I'm sure they're around here somewhere," Jay said, looking off over his device, "I just have to…oh no…"

Leading towards and away from the device were skeleton foot prints.

"Serves you right for taking them for something like this," Kai said.

"You guys have to help me! If I don't get them back before Sensei gets back, I'll be in HUGE trouble," Jay pleaded.

"Why should we risk sharing the blame? You're the one who lost them." said Kai.

"No, we'll help," Said Cole, amazingly calmly, "The nunchucks maybe Jay's to wield someday, but protecting the golden weapons is a shared responsibility. We're a team." said Cole.

"I agree with Cole. Besides we cannot let Jay track down the skeletons alone, Especially so soon after injury," said Zane.

Kai sighed.

"Okay, fine. But this still is your fault!" Kai declared pointing at Jay.

Jay didn't reply. He was relieved his team would be with him to clear up this mess, but he didn't really want Kai to be holding it over his head that he had messed up. Jay was feeling guilty enough as it was.

"Come on, lets go," said Cole, "The only way we'll find the nunchucks is if we follow their tracks."

"Thanks you guys," said Jay humbly.


	2. Chapter 2: Guilt

Jay was completely silent while following the tracks. Who could blame him? He had lost the golden nun chucks to the enemy. Who knew what Lord Garmadon's skeletons could do with them, or worse Lord Garmadon himself!

Jay had never felt so much guilt. The entire world could be in danger. Maybe the entire universe! And it was all his fault.

Jay's only consolation was that his friends were going to help him make up for his mistake. With their support he'd know he'd set things right or die trying. Jay just hoped it was the first of those two.

"It looks like the tracks are headed down this mine. I sense they are using this mine to create another entrance to the underworld," said Zane as the tracks disappeared into one of the caves.

"We'll have to close down their operation before leaving with the nun chucks," said Cole.

Jay nodded in agreement and was about to go in when Cole blocked him with his scythe.

"You're never as quiet as you have been for the last half hour," he said looking squarely into Jay's eyes, "What's wrong?"

"Sorry," said Jay, "I just feel really bad about what happened."

"You'd better," said Kai, "I don't care if they finally got your silly little invention to work. You shouldn't have taken the nun chucks."

"I was planning on working on a portable energy source next, but for now I…" Jay mumbled.

"You should have thought of that before you made your wings powered up!" Kai declared in Jay's face.

"Cool it Kai!" said Cole, "Jay's already upset. You don't need to make this worse for him."

"I don't think 'upset' is enough," said Kai angrily, but he said no more to Jay.

Jay sighed as the four entered the cave. It was dark, but the ninjas were used to moving around in dim light. The mine began to slope downwards steeply making it tricky for the four to keep their footing. At the bottom of the decline the path split into two.

"There are fresh prints heading in both directions," said Zane, "but I cannot sense which group carried the golden nun chucks."

"Is something blocking your powers?" Cole asked sounding concerned.

"No, it's just that both sides are showing joy at bringing the nun chucks to Lord Garmadon. It has made it impossible to specify." Zane explained.

"What do we do from here?" Jay asked.

"We'll have to split up. Kai, Jay, you two take the right tunnel. Zane and I will take the left tunnel. We'll meet up back here." Cole said.

Jay didn't like the idea of being alone with Kai right now. Kai was too angry at him. But Jay felt that given this was his fault anyway, he had no room to argue. do Jay simply nodded.

The tunnel before them proved to be much like the area behind them: dark, sloping, and full of skeleton tracks. Jay followed them through the winding cavern for what felt like hours.

Finally, Kai asked, "Are you sure this is the right way?"

"No idea," Jay admitted, "I'm just doing what Cole told me to do."

"So you'll obey Cole but not Sensei?" Kai accused.

Jay couldn't hold his feelings back any longer. He turned facing Kai directly in the eyes.

"I GET IT, OKAY?" he shouted, "I WAS IRRESPONSIBLE WITH THE GOLDEN NUN CHUCKS. I SHOULDN'T HAVE USED THEM TO POWER UP MY INVENTION. BUT AT LEAST I'M TRYING TO SET THINGS RIGHT! ALL YOU'VE DONE THIS ENTIRE TRIP IS RUB MY BAD ACTIONS IN MY FACE! AND LET ME FILL YOU IN ON SOMETHING, BUDDY. IT'S NOT HELPING! IT'S…"

"Look out!" Kai said, suddenly pushing Jay to the ground and lying on top of him.

THUNK!

An arrow embedded itself into the wall.

Jay saw that if Kai hadn't acted when he did the arrow would have gone right through his head.


	3. Chapter 3: Skeleton Storage

Kai got up and Jay stood facing to where the arrow had come from. But there was no one there.

"A booby trap?" Jay asked surprised.

"I guess so. No one is here," said Kai, "Let's go. We must be getting close to something."

Jay opened his mouth to apologize to Kai for shouting at him like he had, but Kai had already walked away.

I guess he's still mad at me, Jay thought sadly, in fact I probably just made things worse. I really shouldn't have yelled at him.

Jay followed Kai once again not saying a word. His mouth had caused enough trouble already. The ninjas had told him before that he talked too much. He should probably just shut up for the rest of his life.

"Jay, look!" Kai whispered.

Jay looked over his friends shoulder. In front of them the cave opened up into a large room with another exit on the opposite wall. Between the two openings was a mountain of tools, raw materials and weapons.

Jay was about to say that they must have stumbled across a storage room, but remembered in time to keep his mouth shut.

"I think I see the nun chucks on top. Climb up and grab them. I'll keep watch," said Kai.

Jay nodded and started climbing carefully. The pile wasn't very stable. But Jay kept in mind everything Cole had taught him about climbing. Take your time and test the sturdiness before stepping up. So Jay did. It was a long process but eventually he made it to the top.

Taking a deep breath he picked up the golden nun chucks. He had them back. Now he just had to get down. He stepped forward trying the find a path down when the pile shifted.

CRASH!

In an avalanche of objects Jay found himself sliding down the mountain out of control.

Jay was dizzy when he hit the floor. When his vision stopped spinning he was 5 skeletons running out of the entrance opposite of where he and Kai had come in.

Oh, this just isn't my day! He thought.

Kai stepped in front of him them drawing his sword.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Jay nodded and stood bringing out his normal nun chucks.

Kai smashed open the head of one skeleton leaving the body in a pile. Jay swung his nun chucks knocking off the head of two more. The forth grabbed Jay from behind, about to cut his throat with a sword, but soon found the wrath of the hilt of Kai's blade. Jay kicked the final skeleton back into the wall which activated another booby trap.

The ceiling began creeping down towards them knocking the pile of objects down as it went.

REALLY not my day! Jay thought.

He and Kai ran towards the entrance they had come in from, dodging falling shurikans, blades and tools. Just as there were about to be home free, Jay tripped over a wheel. He fell flat on his face, the golden nun chucks flying through the entrance.

Jay looked up. No way was he going to survive now. The ceiling was too close. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact. But at last second, he felt Kai grab his arm and pull him though the entrance.

Both he and Kai took a moment to catch their breath and let the adrenaline die down.

"Are you okay?" Kai asked again.

Jay nodded and stood. He wanted to thank Kai for saving his life again, but he still didn't feel like talking. He'd made too many mistakes today.

"No, you're not…" Kai's tone suddenly got serious and concerned.

Jay looked up. Was he bleeding and not noticed? Was he bruised? Why was Kai looking at him with so much worry?

"Jay, we got the nun chucks back. Why aren't you talking?" Kai asked.


	4. Chapter 4: Good Ending of a Bad Day

Jay simply broke eye contact in response to Kai's question.

"Jay…you're seriously scaring me. What's wrong?" Kai asked.

"Kai! Jay!" Cole's voice called through the darkness before Jay could respond.

"Good news. We stopped them digging the underworld!" Cole smiled as he and Zane came into sight.

"Good," Said Kai, "We were successful too. We got the nun chucks back…but I think Jay got hurt. He isn't talking."

"Jay? What's wrong?" Cole asked.

Jay shook his head. He didn't want to talk to Cole or Zane either. He never wanted to say another word. Right now he just wanted to be away from everyone asking him if he was okay.

Zane must have picked up on this, because he said, "I sense he wants to be alone. We cannot help him now."

"Let's head back home then," said Cole.

Jay followed the others out of the cave and to the dragons. He mounted his and rode back towards the mountain.

On the way back, Kai told Cole and Zane what happened. He didn't seem to take a side this time. He just stated the facts. Still Jay didn't want to relive today.

Jay's heart leapt with fear at what he saw. Sensei Wu was waiting for them. His eyes narrowed when he saw Jay with the golden nun chucks.

"You are not ready to fight with those," he said darkly when the ninjas landed, "Why are they so far from their place here?"

Jay looked away from Sensei Wu. This really wasn't his day.

But then he heard Kai get off his dragon and say, "Sensei, Jay used the nun chucks to power up his invention, but hear me out before you say anything. Jay was willing to fight to the death to make up for his irresponsibility. And he almost did so. Today in itself was punishment enough."

Jay stared at Kai. Was this the same ninja who would not get off his case just a few hours ago? What had changed his mind?

Sensei Wu turned to Zane and Cole.

"Do you all feel this way about this?" he asked.

"We do," Zane said dismounting as well.

"Without a doubt," Cole added following in suit.

"Very well. I'll leave you to do what you feel is right with Jay," said Sensei Wu.

He retreated inside leaving the four ninjas to talk.

Jay got off his dragon and joined the others. He opened his mouth to tell them they didn't need to get him out of trouble, but quickly closed it remembering that talking had just upset Kai before. Right now the last thing he needed was more anger from the others.

Luckily for him, Zane said, "I know what you were about to say. That we did not need to get you out of trouble with Sensei Wu."

Jay nodded.

"The fact is what Kai said was true. You've had a really bad day. I think what you went through was punishment enough." said Cole.

"Jay," said Kai, "I'm sorry about being so hard on you earlier."

Jay looked at Kai. He obviously wasn't mad anymore. That helped Jay find his voice again.

"I'm sorry too…I shouldn't have yelled at you back there…" he said quietly.

"You had every right to yell. I was being a jerk. I shouldn't have made fixing all this harder for you," said Kai.

"Glad to have good old, chatter box Jay back," Cole smiled.

"Well I don't know about chatter box. I mean, I still could have hurt Kai's feelings really badly in there. Maybe I should start talking less. I mean, if I actually had hurt Kai in there we may have never gotten the nun chucks back. And then it would be chaos when Lord Garmadon returned! I mean really! How are we supposed to defeat Lord Garmadon without the four golden weapons? And that includes the golden nun chucks as well as the golden sword, the golden shurikans, and the golden scythe. I wonder if…" Jay babbled.

"I sense," Zane said, cutting Jay off, "That this is something that no matter what will never change."

The four ninjas laughed.

Footnote to starrkiwi: Thank you for your request. By the way it helped me break my record for longest Jay babble (5 and 1/2 lines on microsoft word!) Hope you enjoyed this story. :)


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